The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has urged Nigerians to prioritise affordable and clean energy, highlighting the importance of reliable energy access to industrial growth, job creation, innovation, and improved living standards.

The call was made by SON Director-General, Ifeanyi Okeke, during the 2026 World Standards Day celebration and Walk for Standards in Abuja. Held under the theme “Shared Vision for a Better World with Spotlight on SDG-7: Affordable and Clean Energy,” the event focused on the role of standards in advancing access to dependable and affordable energy.

Okeke said standards are essential to ensuring that energy technologies, products and systems are safe, efficient and reliable. He noted that without proper standards, efforts to make energy more affordable could be undermined by substandard equipment and unsafe installations.

As part of its work, SON has developed standards covering different parts of Nigeria’s compressed natural gas (CNG) ecosystem. The organisation approved 80 standards in 2024, covering areas such as CNG conversion kits, vehicle safety, storage vessels and refuelling stations. These standards are intended to support the safe and reliable adoption of CNG as an alternative fuel.

SON is also advancing energy efficiency through its Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme and Minimum Energy Performance Standards, known as SUNMEL. The scheme is designed to give consumers reliable information about the energy performance of electrical appliances, helping households and businesses make better purchasing decisions and identify products that use less electricity.

The initiative highlights an important part of Nigeria’s energy transition: expanding access to clean energy must go hand in hand with ensuring that the equipment used is safe, efficient and fit for purpose. For consumers, this also means looking beyond the initial purchase price and considering an appliance’s energy consumption and long-term running costs.

As Nigeria continues to explore alternative fuels and more efficient energy technologies, standards and consumer awareness will remain important to building confidence in these solutions and making affordable, reliable energy more accessible.